Drug Rehab News

Marijuana or Alcohol, which is more dangerous?

The New Yorker Magazine did an interview with President Barack Obama excerpts of which were published in “Livescience” where the President said, and we share their quote:

“As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life,” “I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”

Both of these drugs are used recreationally and, even though there are major differences in how they are regulated by the laws of the land, it is very difficult to compare the long-term effects of using either drug. There are many factors that go into this analysis.

The Center on Disease Control (CDC) says that there are 88,000 deaths a years related to alcohol. However, the research on marijuana’s effects on the body is studied to a much lesser degree than that of alcohol. It is difficult to find reputable studies on the long term effects of marijuana. For one thing, it is only legal to smoke in Colorado and Washington states and that makes it difficult to find subjects that are willing to to come forward to volunteer for research projects.

If a person consumes a large amount of alcohol, it can kill them rapidly and this is documented in many cases on a daily basis throughout the world. It wasn’t long ago that there were news articles about fraternities having games that included the ingesting alcohol quickly and at high volumes and the deaths that occurred because of these practices.

You can literally die within minutes from drinking too much alcohol, but the same isn’t true for marijuana. However, this shouldn’t be used as an excuse for the fact that smoking marijuana has many detrimental side effects, just as cigarettes cause 440,000 deaths per year, yet no one has ever died from smoking a few cigarettes, if there is such a thing as a “bing smoker”, so you can see that the analogy breaks down in many ways.

Alcohol is also dangerous because of its effects with other drugs and medications, which isn’t the case with marijuana. You have people who die from drinking a moderate amount of alcohol, but were also taking painkillers or other drugs that notoriously increase the effects of both the alcohol and the drug.

The immediate effects of smoking marijuana cause a lack of awareness and an impairment in judgement, which leads to bad decisions. Many auto accidents are caused by impaired drivers that are high on marijuana. We have laws to enforce driving while under the influence of both marijuana or alcohol, but because judgement is impaired, people still smoke marijuana and drive. They also put themselves at risk by making poor judgements related to unprotected sex.

The long terms effects of alcohol are know by most adults. Everyone is aware of the damage that heavy drinking causes to the liver and the cardio vascular system as well as blood sugar level, etc. None of these are documented with heavy use of marijuana.

It is not the concern of this website about the physiological difference that come from marijuana or alcohol use, but the addiction potential and the effects that it has on one’s personality.

In this area, casual to social drinking is much less dangerous that the use of marijuana. A person can have a mixed drink, a couple of beers or a glass of wine a day and not have any significant changes to their basic moral codes or “who they really are as human beings”. But the effects of smoking marijuana are much more detrimental to a persons future and the choices he makes than moderate use of alcohol.

It is a fact that whether marijuana is legal or not, it is a gateway drug to many types of drug addiction. THC, the chemical in marijuana that causes one to feel the effects, lodges in the fat tissues of the body and causes a person to have the effects of that drug months or even years after it is smoked.

The Use of marijuana is well documented to cause a person to have lower motivation and aspirations to achieve his potential. Many people experiment with marijuana in their adolescence, which is a time when it is difficult to have enough confront of the challenges of life even when not under the influence of a drug. Chronic use of marijuana at this age reduces one’s ability to mature and gain the learning that is necessary to socially and educationally be competitive with one’s peers.

When you look at adolescents as they mature though life, you will find that those that smoked marijuana didn’t achieve as many of the needed goals to be successful in the rest of their lives.

This subject is much more subtle and profound that can be discussed in an website article. From the many years that we have been working with addicted individuals that are attempting to confront their problems and rebuild their lives, we can tell you that smoking marijuana is a high-risk activity and shouldn’t be justified that it is much better for a person than heavy drinking. Neither of these are needed to do well in life and both with hinder one’s ability to succeed and be as happy as they could be if their confronted their lives without these drugs.

Marijuana or Alcohol? Sorry, but the answer is neither.

• Former Miami Dolphin and free agent Jason Ferguson has been suspended by the NFL for the first eight games of 2010. The veteran nose tackle was prhttp://alcoholism.about.com/cs/news/a/drugnews.htmeviously suspended in 1999 after a urine test revealed anabolic steroids in his system. (March 2010)

• One of three quarterbacks in the running to become the starter at the University of Georgia next season has been arrested on charges related to underage drinking in a south Georgia bar. Zach Mettenberger, 18, was charged with underage consumption, possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, obstruction and two counts of having fake identification. (3/2010)

• Mark Newman, a senior vice president of operations for the New York Yankees, has been charged with driving under the influence in Tampa. Police said Newman refused to take a breath test. He was later released on $500 bail. (3/2010)

• Rap artist DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, has been arrested in Phoenix for violating his probation by using drugs. The rapper was in the middle of an 18-month supervised probation term when he was busted. (3/2010)

• Minnesota Timberwolves center Al Jefferson was suspended for two games after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated after Minnesota lost to Portland. “I want to apologize to the entire Timberwolves organization, owner Glen Taylor, my teammates, coaches and Wolves fans everywhere for my actions last night,” Jefferson said in a statement. “I made a very poor decision and I am truly sorry for that.” (2/2010)

On Jan. 9, 2011, the trainer of the Green Bay Packers went through the locker room after the playoff game and announced to some of the players, like center Scott Wells, that he was going to have a drug test the next day. Scott argued that he just passed one and was it really necessary.

No to worry Scott, because he has ample time, 15 hours, to do whatever is necessary to tamper with his sample so that it will be a worthless test… it will come out clean, but the protocol of announcing before hand, even an hour, is highly irregular.

The Olympic Committee tests its athletes immediately, which is the accepted method. Travis Tygart, the head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said: “The world knows you can’t give advanced notice for testing for it to be effective.”

The Center for Drug Free Sport is the contractor that the NFL uses to implement their drug testing policy. They took input from the Player’s Association and the Packers refused comment when question about this dubious procedure.

The Vice President of the NFL, Adolfo Birch, said that this was only done on game days because the players are many times give the next day off and they wanted to be sure that they showed up for the test. He said that he didn’t agree with the advance notice because it compromises the accuracy of the test. He said that at other times the players are given test without notice and that their labs screen for “masking agents” that could be part of the collected samples. Mr. Birch said that this only happens on game day.

This is part of the problem since a player would take a Performance endurance-boosting EPO the morning of the game and know that he isn’t going to be tested until Monday morning, which is ample time for the drug to have be metabolized. (thanks to the Wall Street Journal for this data)

Being young involves quite a bit of exciting change. There’s the end of high-school, the start of college and some measure of independence, and a whole slew of new experiences.

A recent study conducted by Judith Brooks at NYU School of Medicine has revealed that one of those experiences, smoking marijuana (weed) may be associated with more relationship conflict later in life. What’s amazing about this study is that the drug use here occurred earlier in life for most of the 534 participants, while the relationship trouble was assessed around their mid- to late-twenties.

Could other factors explain this finding?!
Now you may be thinking to yourself that there are a whole lot of other aspects of a person’s life that can affect their relationship quality and their probability of smoking weed in adolescence. You’d be right, but here’s what the researchers in this study ruled out as possible confounds (the scientific name for variables that obscure findings):

Even after controlling for all of these things, smoking marijuana as a teen still predicted having less harmonious relationships later on in life.

Limitations:
All humor aside, this research is not saying that if you smoke weed you will definitely have a lower quality relationship later. What it does point out is that, on average, given a person with similar social skills, aggressive personality, and education, the one who smoked marijuana around their mid-teens is likely to have a less satisfying relationship.

Citation:

Brook, J. S., Pahl, K., and Cohen, P. (2008). Associations between marijuana use during emerging adulthood and aspects of significant other relationship in young adulthood. Journal of Child and Family Studies, Vol 17, pg. 1-12.

It has been found in San Diego that drug pushers are being forced to be more creative in the way they package their products. Investigators found that drugs are being disguised in candy wrappers and inside of chocolate bars and other confections.

“Dealers are targeting kids with things like chocolate bars and gumballs filled with marijuana. A so-called strawberry quick is really crystal methamphetamine disguised as a pink, strawberry-flavored powder” According to Channel 10 News in San Diego.

“They take these dangerous drugs and they mask them, they hide them, in something that does not seem dangerous,” said Steve Robertson with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“It’s more palatable it seems. When it looks like a Snickers bar, a kid’s more likely to eat it because they’re used to eating Snickers bars,” said Tony Bylsma with Narconon.

“They need to find new customers, and they’re trying to drum up business,” said Bylsma. And dealers know they’ve got to hook customers while they’re young.

“If they reach the age of 21 and they haven’t begun to use, then their chances of them using are very, very small,” said Bylsma.

Attaguile said she knows about the dangers all too well. She got hooked on meth when she was just 16, including popcorn-flavored meth. “You actually had like a sensation of melting butter in your mouth,” said Attaguile.

03/15/2008

Also in Southern California, young students are taking over-the-counter cold remedies to alter their consciousness. MyDesert.com reported the following:

The Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold pills look harmless – a pack of 16 could fit in a teenager’s palm – but when abused, they can be deadly.

Students call them “Triple Cs” and say they are offered for sale in local schools. In California, calls to the Poison Control hotline for help with teen overdoses increased 15-fold. And a bill has been introduced in the U.S. Congress to help curtail abuse.

“Because it slowly dissolves – it’s a longer effectiveness for cold symptoms – what kids do is they either take several of them or smash them, and all of it is released at one time,” said Cathy Dunn, California regional manager for the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

“That could make it deadly.”

The La Quinta High student and two others who were taken to the hospital Tuesday afternoon are serving five days suspension for the incident, said Principal Donna Salazar.

The others took more than 10 pills but less than 25, she said.

“The kids were quite sick,” Salazar said, but added Wednesday that they are “recovering well.”

Salazar said she and other administrators will visit every class this week to educate students about the dangers of abusing over-the-counter medications and the school policies that ban them without a doctor’s note.

Jane Mills, director of child welfare and attendance in Palm Springs Unified School District, said she’s seen more of these incidents in the past five years.

“We’d be foolish to say we don’t know about it. We can’t put our heads in the sand,” Mills said.

Palm Springs Unified students found with over-the-counter medications get on-site counseling and resources, just as students who are caught with illicit drugs, Mills said.

Officials at Coachella Valley Unified School District did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Each Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold pill contains 30 milligrams of dextromethorpan, a cough suppressant found in many household cold medications such as Robitussin and NyQuil.

The Robitussin brand has given rise to the term “robotripping” for its use to a point of altered consciousness.

Commentary:

Even though this site is dedicated to drug rehab and treatment, the only way that this country is going to get close to handling the drug and alcohol problem is to invest in prevention efforts. These efforts should not be the school’s responsibility, but all efforts should be directed and helping parents to talk to their children comfortably and intelligently, without fear tactics. The truth helps all of us by giving us the data we need to make decisions on how we can survive at the highest levels. Children today need to feel comfortable in confronting the reality of what they are being exposed to outside the home and they need to feel that if they make a mistake by buying some pot-infested chocolate bars, that their parents will see their behaviors in light of the age and the pressures to take risk and not to over-react.

We get calls from parents that are becoming hysterical because they drug-tested their teenager and found traces of marijuana use and they are wanting to commit them to long-term treatment immediately.

If you find that your teenager has been using drugs and is lying to you about his/her use, call 1-888-781-7060 and talk to one of our counselors who can help you see how this behavior fits into the bigger picture of his/her life. Sometime, a person as described would need treatment, but more often, it is an opportunity to become an ally of your child and work though the truth about these drugs and their consequences. Our counselors will be able to help you discern whether or not professional intervention is necessary.

Come back to this site regularly for bits from the news and commentary from rehab-drug.net.

Canadian, OK 07/22/2009 -Depression is another factor that keeps an addict harnessed in his addiction. Depression is the source of a constant and significant amount of discomfort that prompts continued use. It is also the second major barrier to successful recovery for those seeking help through treatment.

Some of the traditional medical- and psychiatric-based programs rotely diagnose and treat the depression an addict is experiencing as the root cause of the person’s drug or alcohol problem. In actual fact, more times than not, it is a symptom of the problem that manifested itself after the person had become addicted, not before. Oftentimes, in the course of treatment, psychotropic medications are used which temporarily mask the symptom but does nothing to cure it. As these medications wear off, the depression returns, oftentimes magnified. This makes the recovery process much more difficult, if not nearly impossible, for the addict in treatment.

There are physical and mental mechanics at play that create the state of depression and lethargy an addicted person experiences. At a physical level, most addicts are in a declining or poor state of health. When they are high they are in a euphoric, painless state of mind and are numb to the damage drugs and/or alcohol are causing to their body. When they are sober they have no energy and minor aches and pains are intensified. They are physically spent as a result of the severe nutritional deficiencies that follow long-term drug or alcohol abuse. It is these deficiencies that accelerate poor health and put the person in a physically lethargic condition.

At a mental level, they have a difficult time finding joy or happiness in anything while they are not under the influence. An addict at some point surrenders to the idea that they must be high in order to experience anything at an emotional level. They must be high to celebrate an accomplishment, to escape sadness. They must be high to solve problems, to enjoy sex, to have meaningful relationships, to work or to play. The addict really believes and operates on this principle, numb to the actual fact that the quality of their life and relationships with others are on a downtrending spiral.

To give a layman’s explanation of how and why this barrier of depression exists, let’s look at what is happening to a person’s mind and body as the addiction develops. There is another biophysical aspect to this scenario which is created by the drug’s interaction with the body’s natural chemistry. Some of the body’s natural chemicals act as a built-in reward system that encourages us to eat, exercise and procreate. Other natural chemicals act as painkillers that activate when we physically injure ourselves or are experiencing pain. These natural chemicals are directly related to our drive to maintain our physical well-being in one way or another.

In addition to the presence of drug metabolites in the system and the memories associated with drug and alcohol use as described in Part II of this editorial series, the physical brain of the addicted person also identifies the drug or alcohol as an aid that either enhances or restricts the release of these natural chemicals. In some cases the brain identifies some drugs as superior to the body’s natural chemicals. The brain then substitutes the drugs or alcohol for the body’s natural chemicals. As the person starts to use drugs or alcohol on a regular basis, the body becomes depleted of key nutrients and amino acids. (Amino acids are the building blocks for the body’s natural chemicals.) These nutritional deficiencies prevent the body from receiving the nutritional energy necessary to produce and release the natural chemicals.

In short, the drugs take over the functions of the body’s natural chemicals and the person’s brain and body get fooled into thinking that the drugs or alcohol are the natural chemicals. When drugs or alcohol are present in the addict’s system, the physical perception is that the body chemistry is working and all is well. When the drugs or alcohol leave the addict’s system, the brain and body perceive a deficit of the natural body chemicals which adds to the lethargy and lack of enjoyment an addict experiences when not under the influence of drugs or drink. This condition is what adds to the addict’s compulsion and drive to do more drugs or drink more alcohol, despite the often life-threatening consequences an addict is faced with on a day-to-day basis. The drug or alcohol gets misidentified as an aid to the production and release of the natural chemicals when, in fact, it is suppressing the body’s ability to manufacture them.

One final piece of the depression puzzle is what is actually happening in the addicts’ lives. There are broken relationships, sometimes problems with the law or financial problems. Addicts start to distance themselves from the people they love and becomes more and more withdrawn. They may lose their jobs or start experiencing serious health problems. Basically their lives are going down the toilet and the addicts deep down are not happy about it. They are depressed about these circumstances that for the most part are present because of their addictive lifestyles. Depression is an appropriate emotion considering the misery that they are faced with in their lives.

For some medical practitioners in the treatment field to address this depression as a “mental illness or disease” and expect that prescribed medications will somehow fix the person so they can fix these situations in their life seems somewhat irrational if you think about it. It is a fact that these prescribed medications will mask the depression temporarily, but so will their drug of choice. Neither one helps the person restore their physical health or helps them develop the life skills to repair these real life problems, which is the only real cure for this affliction.

Advocates have contended that the board must allow medical uses of marijuana because 13 other states allow it.

Wedemeyer Oleson, a Guthrie Center pharmacist, said the activists’ reasoning reminded her of an argument she made to her father when she was a teen-ager. She said she insisted that he let her stay out until 1 a.m. because her friends’ parents allowed them to do so. “He said, ‘If your friends jumped off a bridge, does that mean you should jump off a bridge?’ ”

Several other board members echoed Wedemeyer Oleson’s concerns about safety. None spoke in favor of legalizing the drug.

After a 15-minute discussion, the board asked its lawyer to draft a position for a vote at a later meeting.

Polk County District Judge Joel Novak ruled in April that the board had to consider the issue. He made the ruling in a lawsuit brought by medical-marijuana advocates, who said regulators were unfairly refusing to even discuss it.

Although the board labeled Monday’s meeting a hearing, it did not give advocates a chance to speak. Board members said they had heard the activists’ arguments in the past.

Carl Olsen of Des Moines, who speaks for Iowans for Medical Marijuana, vowed afterward to take the matter back to court. He said the board is required to allow doctors to prescribe drugs accepted for medical use in the United States.

Olsen said some patients clearly benefit from marijuana. “If a guy’s growing marijuana because it’s good for his AIDS and it’s the only thing that will save his life, why should he go to prison for that?” he asked. “It just doesn’t make sense. Where’s the victim?”

Besides the court fight, Olsen said his group would keep pressing the Iowa Legislature to legalize the drug.

After 35+ years in the alcohol and drug abuse and addiction field, one of our counselors comments on how celebrities lives and our lives are almost identical when alcohol and drugs are driving the behaviors:

Commentary

Lindsay Lohan is yet another celebrity that is currently in the news for living with addiction and even though she has all of the resources that anyone could want to handle her problem, it appears as though it is similar to those of the average middle-class addict when it comes to failed treatment and failed rehabs. Hopefully, all of us can learn from her tragedy and hopefully, Ms. Lohan will find a solution to her problems before she follows the predictable journey of Elvis Presley or Michael Jackson.

The public watches celebrities with heightened interest when they become addicted to alcohol and other drugs because we all can identify with the struggle that makes their lives very similar to ours or those of our loved ones. The public is surprised that in spite of their limitless resources, Lindsay and some other well known celebrities seem to be showing us that addiction doesn’t play favorites. It appears as though addiction is part of the human condition that can destroy anyone, regardless of their position in life.

Lohan has hopes that this will be resolved on Nov. 2 when she will try to find a suitable alibi. Ms. Lohan was order in April of 2011, to serve 360 hours at the Downtown Women’s Center, an agency that helps homeless women. Ms Lohan missed nine of her appointments at the center that were “just blown off” and she “showed up once and left after an hour.”

We hope that Ms. Lohan will be able to keep outside of prison walls and will continue to stay alcohol and drug free. These behaviors are not typically representative of someone that is working a good program of sobriety. We will see…

As of July, 2010, Lindsay Lohan is 24 years old and is facing 90 days in jail because of her unwillingness to confront her addiction and to take responsibility for her DUI and other legal complications related to her inability to stay clean and sober, even though she has had the resources to help her confront her addiction and could be pursuing her many talents that could be having her in the news for many positive reasons, but instead, we are faced with the continuing saga about her next battle with addiction and the courts. Lindsay’s greatness and story is now limited to a drug addict that can’t control herself. She is shown as a weak person that wants everything without taking on the responsibilities that come with adulthood.

As of August, 2, 2010, Lindsay was released from LA Correctional Facility and driven in a limo to here 90 days of alcohol and drug treatment. She spent 11 days in jail. It is left to be seen if this was enough to shock her into the reality of what it will take for Lindsay to confront and take control of her life.

If you ask anyone off the street about Lindsay Lohan, they will, more often than not, mention that she is a young actress, who is addicted to alcohol and drugs. That is where the similarities in responses ends. Some will say that she is a spoiled “rich kid” who thinks that she can live above the law, but whatever the political attitude may be about her addiction, very few mention the fact that she is a song writer/performer, actress, designer, child star and all of the things that sets Lindsay apart from the rest of us. What seems to be of more interest is how she is more like us than different.

Addiction shouldn’t have to be defining her life any more than it should define anyone of the people that you know who are suffering or have suffered with this problem.

Many people believe that Lindsay must have a unwillingness to change her life. That she is enjoying being seen as the person who is being jailed and continually being in and out of treatment. This smug comment will be based on the fact that if she didn’t enjoy this attention she would change her conditions and “straighten up” and be more responsible.

In the many years that I have been in this rehab field and have followed and treated celebrities who face addiction, I have yet to have seen any of them who are proud of their escapades that have led to them to negative public attention. They will admit that the old saying that of “any attention is better than no attention” does hold true and that they have gained notoriety because of their problems, but I have yet to know anyone who wouldn’t have rather been known for their unique talents rather than their problems.

I treated a famous actor whose sister was also a movie star and he never got over his resentment that she wasn’t portrayed as having an alcohol and drug problem. It is easy for the public to believe that Charlie Sheen and others are not feeling the same shame and remorse that would be the natural response to their addiction problem.

So, why do so many celebrities with so many resources lose their happiness and sometimes their lives to addiction?

If these people can’t get drug rehab treatment that is effective, then what are the chances that the average American family will be able to find effective treatment?

Actually, if you understand the real reason why so many addicted people do not recover from this condition, then you will see that there is a certain amount of money or insurance needed to get effective treatment, but having too many options doesn’t guarantee better treatment. Many times, the “experts” that get on the lines of the celebrities are some of the least qualified and skilled therapist. (Take Dr. Conrad Murray, who was Michael Jackson’s physician or the physicians that “treated” or should I say “pushed drugs” to Elvis during his demise.)

Hollywood has a strange and ineffective way of doing medical triage on celebrities. This holds true for the wealthy as well. Having abundance of money is many times a hinderance to common sense and finding practical and effective help.

There are programs that we have reviewed on site that market to celebrities and are located in beautiful settings in Malibu and other resort areas and it has been our experience that they are not providing the type of treatment that has the highest outcomes.

Many celebrities will only wear the finest designer clothing and drive the best luxury cars and when it comes to drug treatment, will only want to go to a program that their peers have attended; a program that meets their expectations of luxury and fits someone of their position.

This is one of the of many wrong ways to chose a treatment center.

This short commentary doesn’t allow time to explain all of the functions that an effective treatment center must provide to be successful, but we will be happy to have a conversation about what works and what doesn’t if you will call our hotline.

One thing that is absolutely true about recovering from addiction, there can’t be a partial recovery. Effective treatment centers handle the physical, emotional and mental aspects of addiction and if any of those pieces are not handled to a level that the addict knows that they are manageable, then relapse is very predictable.

We are not involved in Lindsay Lohan’s addiction in any way, but we wish we were, because our experience tells us that she is probably in the hands of well intended people that have been misinformed. It has been our experience that every celebrity that we have treated also has people in their lives that want them to fail, but the majority of her advisors are probably conveying the best solutions they have.

Unfortunately, at this time, in this rehab field, the conventional wisdom isn’t very wise and what is passed off as the “best” treatment money can buy, and certainly Lindsay can afford the best, is far from being the best. We believe that someday this field will evolve to where those programs that doesn’t totally handled and eliminate addiction will be replaced by effective treatment programs, but until that time, you owe it to yourself to keep an open mind and look to those programs that make sense and do not hide behind the idea that addiction is a chronic and progressive disease.

The 90 day drug treatment program where Lindsay is receiving treatment isn’t one of the programs that has the best outcomes, but I am confident that she and her staff have been told otherwise. I hope that she is one of their successes… we will find out soon since Lindsay always pulls in trouble when she is abusing alcohol and other drugs. I hope to report success, but I am sadly aware of the fact that there are few drug treatment programs that actually end addiction and rehabilitate their clients.

How Did Lindsay Lohan Arrive At This Place in Her Life?

Lindsay Lohan was born in 1986 was pushed towards child fashion modeling as a very young child and stared in her first movie, a remake of “The Parent Trap” in 1998 at age 11. From this start she developed her acting skills by appearing in Freaky Friday, Mean Girls, Herbie: Fully Loaded, A Prairie Home Companion and Bobby.

By 2006, Lindsay had already realized that she had an alcohol and drug problem and tried to confront her addiction by getting treatment at the Wonderland Center and attending AA and other 12-step meetings.

In 2007, Lindsay received two DUIs (Driving Under the Influence) convictions and three intakes into drug rehab. After her first arrest for cocaine possession, she again entered alcohol and drug rehab at the Promises Treatment Center in Malibu, California. In August of the same year she entered Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in Utah and stayed there until October.

On August 23, 2007, she pleaded guilty to cocaine use and driving under the influence and was sentenced to one day imprisonment and 10 days’ community service, with 3 years probation. While she was apologizing to the courts for her addictive behaviors, she missed a mandated substance abuse class and another year was added to her probation.

In May of 2010, Lindsay failed to appear for a DUI Progress Report Hearing and a warrant was issued for her arrest. With the help of her attorneys, this arrest warrant rescinded. She appeared at a hearing on May 27, 2010 Ms. Lohan was told to attend weekly alcohol education classes, wear a monitoring bracelet, stop drinking alcohol, and undergo random weekly drug tests to remain free on bail.

A hearing on June 6, 2010 determined that Lindsay had violated the terms of her probation and the judge sentenced her to 90 days in custody, but later allowed her to go to the Betty Ford Center for the same about of time.

Lindsay will be released on Jan. 3, 2011 from this sentence. Let’s all pray that she doesn’t make the courts seem foolish for not demanding her jail time. Hopefully, Lindsay can continue her talented career without alcohol or other drugs being involved. She has been order to be alcohol and drug tested while on set making the Linda Lovelace memoirs.

You can learn from her example that attending the “best” alcohol and drug treatment programs doesn’t guarantee results, but our staff and our years of experience in reviewing, on site, more than 150 rehab centers knows that Ms. Lohan didn’t attend the “best” centers. We believe that if she would have gotten the type of treatment that her behaviors and addiction dictates, she wouldn’t have to worry about relapse. In stead, she is probably terrified that she will again be arrested for DUI or possession of illegal substances.

Her treatment programs have taught her that she has an addictive disease. She told the judge at her last hearing that she was trying very hard but that she has a disease that keeps her from being 100% successful. I am sorry to hear that is her outcome and belief. Ms. Lohan is extremely talented and deserves treatment that works. Otherwise, she may become another Maryland Manroe-type story.

As of December 06, 2010, Lindsay has 100 days of testing clean for alcohol and other drugs. At that time she was still in the Betty Ford Center, so the proof of her resolve will be seen after January 3rd when she is entitled to leave the treatment center and will be on her own, but still being randomly tested for alcohol and drug use. We all hope and pray that she will do whatever is necessary to keep this clean-time going for another hundred days and more.

Updates 2011:

As of November 03, 2011 Lindsay was sentensed to 30 daysin jail for her breach of her parole agreement, but the Judge Sautner allowed Lindsay to finish her photo-shoot with Playboy Magazine so that she wouldn’t be in violation of her other agreement and contract with Playboy. Let’s see how long it will be before the “Bod Girl” will be back in the news.

As of October 18, 2011 Lindsay Lohan, who is noow 25, had her probation revoked by Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner and set her bail at $100,000, which Ms. Lohan made immediately. However, she was cuffed and jailed after the Judge’s decision. Sautner set a Nov. 2 hearing to decide whether Lohan deserves a return to jail. Ms. Lohan has been sent four previous times only to be released early due to jail overcrowding. Judge Sautner said: “If jail meant something in the state of California now, maybe I’d put her in jail.”

February 23, 2011

Lindsay is back in court because of the theft or whatever it is finally determined to be, of a necklace. Today, the judge said that if Lindsay Lohan takes a plea bargain, that she can rest assured that she WILL DO JAIL TIME. He emphasized that those were his conditions and she should think very hard about other options. So, Linday and her attorneys postponed the courtdate for another two weeks. We will see what happens then.

January 2011

We all hope that this is going to be a great year for Lindsay Lohan, but there are some indicators that, as a seasoned professional in the alcohol and drug rehab field, I would say are problematic. Lindsay just got a $135 Range Rover lent to her by a car custom shop. Why is this a problem, you ask?

Being out of exchange with your environment is one the the biggest problems that all recoverying addicts and alcoholics face. Lindsay needs to feel that she has worked hard to get any “toy” of any value, much less something at the extreme heights. Being out of exchange, meaning that she didn’t exchange anything of personal worth or value for the exchange of this car, is one of the treatment issues that has been keep Ms. Lohan from having the strength to resist her cravings. It isn’t the car dealer’s fault, they are just trying to get publicity. Lindsay should have told them that she apprecitaed their kindness, but that she has other interest at this time. I guarantee that she would have felt much better than she does with those wheels…. what to see the ride, click here

Lindsay’s father and mother are doing their part in bringing positive news to the press. On 19th of January, Michael Lohan, Lindsay’s father announced that he and his daughter attended a 12-step meeting and that she is back to being the little girl before her addiction. Her mother announced that her little brother was going to star in a film where he plays a heroin addict… It will be interesting to see if this film glamorizes heroin addiction. One would think that the pain that Ms. Lohan and her father have gone through would lead them to drug education messages and not anything that would re-stimulate Lindsay’s counter-culture image as the tough addict. If she has done the 180 degree turnaround that her father refers to, then it would be valuable for Lindsay and her followers to see her with a bright, enthusiastic leadership role.

Updates from 2010:

Update December, 2010

December 21st: Lindsay makes the news again, this time with a charge of physical assault from one the Betty Ford staff. The Center fired the staff member the next day because of her breach of confidentiality in reporting to the public on matters concerning one of their patients. Everyone is hoping that these are trumped up charges to get to Lindsay’s deep pockets, but if they are accurate, it opens questions about Lindsay’s recovery as well as the Betty Ford Center. It has been our experience that centers like Betty Ford can many times sacrifice the intensity necessary to make real change in exchange for ensuring that their patients are not put in overly uncomfortable situations. In other words, it is difficult to expect change from an addict if they are living in cozy, condo-like surroundings with 5-star amenities. Not so much because of the creature comforts, but the attitude that the patients ultimately call the shots and with enough noise can have staff fired or transferred.

December 15, 2010: Ms. Lohan is still at the Betty Ford Center but on 12/01/2010 she requested that her attorneys get a restraining order put on the paparazzi who are “following her wherever she drives”, which begs the answer to: “Does Betty Ford Center allow its clients to have access to their cars?” It also makes you wonder if her request for a restraining order is going to get the courts to order that Ms. Lohan be restrained to the treatment center where she is legally mandated to reside.

Update: October, 2010

As most of you know, Lindsay is in the Betty Ford Center just outside of Palm Springs, CA. We reviewed that center twice over the years and it is a very sterile, yet comfortable facility that uses a modified 12-step/medical model and probably gets better than 10% success because of the level of motivation of their patients, but it isn’t a type of treatment that would routinely produce good outcomes.

As for Lindsay Lohan, I believe that we can safely say that she will not follow the Betty For d regime and, more likely than not, will be in addiction trouble again soon after her discharge of January 1, 2011. We would like to hope otherwise, but that is all it would be is hope. There isn’t any data that we have that can factually back up that hope and Lindsay hasn’t demonstrated that she will survive her desire to escape responsibility and give into the urges of her addiction.

Update: September 21, 2010

As many of you have heard, Lindsay is in violation of her probation because of failing a drug test and is to appear before the judge latter this week. I am sorry that Lindsay didn’t choose a program that could actually end her addiction, but instead it appears as though she has become a true-beliver in the disease model of addiction. Her comments on failing her drug test: . “People with addiction problems don’t get better magically, and she’s really been making an effort to make herself better.”

Update: September 24, 2010

It appears as though the judge has sentenced Lindsay Lohan to another thirty days in jail for her violation of the probation agreement that she can’t drink or drug. From what Rehab-Drug.net heard, the judge is going to repeat this action every time there is evidence that Ms. Lohan hasn’t complied with her probation.

That is all fine and good in terms of consequences and the law, but what effect does this have on Lindsay?

Therapeutically, it may be the best and most effective action anyone could take. Lindsay hasn’t had many A to B rational consequences in her life. When she can extrapolate that everything that she does has A to B consequences, then we will see her taking responsibility for her addiction. Hopefully this will be education enough. We would hate to see her endanger her future any more than she already has. We will see…

The disease model can easily be seen as a justification for not taking personal responsibility.

Update: September 25, 2010

Lindsay was yesterday sentenced to four weeks in prison for violating the terms of her probation, but is now free after posting her $300,000 bail by her attorney who is looking for a loophole in her latest arrest.

“She’s been very cooperative — always has been — the first time, and then the last time. Let’s hope this is the last time,” said Los Angeles Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore.

Judge Patricia Schnegg overturned Judge Elden Fox’s initial ruling she must stay behind bars until her next court appearance on October 22. This may not be the best thing for Lindsay since consequences are things she isn’t accustomed to.

Although Lindsay is a free woman, the judge ruled she must be fitted with a SCRAM alcohol-monitoring device within 24 hours if released.

It is obvious to everyone that Lindsay has not totally solved her addiction problems or she wouldn’t be in the theft ordeal that she currently finds herself. However, it is easy for the public to jump to conclusions about her condition. There are people that gain from her being in trouble more than they would if she were being more responsible. We feel that Lindsay didn’t get a drug rehab that could give her the best outcomes, but she may be doing well and being set up on these other problems. The “jury” is still out on this latest case and we will wait to see what she, her attorneys and the judge conclude on this latest problem.

When Lindsay was 20, she was compared to Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton, but after many attempts to handle her addiction and the rebellous acts that have landed her in court, it is going to take a serious life-changing intervention or treatment to help Lindsay get back on track. If she does escape that opportunistic therapist and drug rehabs in America and begin to feel excited about her craft, she wins and so does the public at large. She is extremely talented and diserves the truth.

We hope that she will be able to sort through the therapeutic data and throw out the misinformation and hang on to the idea that disease or not, it all comes down to Lindsay and that this first and everyday of the rest of her life will be joyful and productive. We hope that she will thrive on her successes and become a role model on how to rebound from adversity and the expectations of those that profit from other’s failures.

As of January 19, 2011, Michael Lohan, Lindsay’s father who is also in 12-step based recovery from alcohol and other drugs, announced that he and Lindsay attended an AA meeting and then retired back to his home. He stated to the press that she is 180 degrees different than she was in her addiction. “She’s changed back to the girl she used to be.”

On January 27th Lindsay showed up for a photo shoot and appeared to be doing well.

February 7th…. now there are charges about Lindsay Lohan’s theft of a necklace, which she claims is a misunderstanding. It is claimed that Lindsay will be charged with the alleged theft of a $2,500 necklace from Kamofie and Company, a California-based boutique, but the L.A. District Attorney’s office says that nothing has happened as yet. There are some that are saying that charges will be filed by the end of the week.

For all of us that believe that Lindsay needs to take responsibility for her life, see the benefit of her being charged, but she may be at the end of her rope with the legal system and could be facing up to three years of prison time if she is found guilty of this latest offence. I am sure that her attorneys have make restitution with the Kamofie and Company, but will the district attorney still want to press charges… We would hope not.

February 10th…. Lindsay goes to a hearing for the alleged stolen necklace in LA and pleaded not guilty and had to post a $40K bond. The judge had some good advice for Lindsay: “You’re in a different situation now that a felony has been filed against you,” Schwartz told Lohan in court. “If you violate the law, I will remand you and set no bail and your attorney won’t be successful this time. … You need to follow the laws just like everybody else. … You’re no different than anyone else, so please don’t push your luck.” (lA Times)

Those investigating the case are confused as to the motive for the alleged theft since the necklace is worth far less than most of the jewelry that Lindsay was wearing. We will see if Lindsay gets her act together with this latest treat of her freedom. She is quickly becoming someone that appears to need institutionalization. Lindsay’s attorney, Shawn Holley said that the necklace is really worth about $900 and not the $2,500 that was being reported by the store. This would reduce Lindsay’s charges from a felony to a misdemeanor.

This is legal jabber, and doesn’t address the fact that if Lindsay is indeed of intentionally stealing this necklace, than one has to either question the Betty Ford’s treatment or wonder if there aren’t bigger problems that this actress possess than substance abuse and addiction. Either way, she has fallen into the hands of the media and celebrity-knows-best world of treatment where few ever get well, but they stay in the news… just ask Charlie Sheen.

February 22, 2011… Lindsay and her attorneys went to court again today to offer a plea bargain to the judge, but decided to ask for a two week postponement until which time they could decide if the plea bargain was the direction they wanted to go at this time. The judge stated, in no uncertain terms, that if they do present a plea bargain, that they should be assured that Linday Lohan will do some jail time, no matter what. That statement caused Lindsay’s attorneys to re-huddle to see if they want to go forward or what else they can do. Lindsay is beginning to see that old saying in rehab is true: “Either you get your ethics in, or society will do it for you”.. I hope she gets this lesson.

March 7, 2011...The surveyance tape from the jewelry store was sold, even though neither the prosecution or Lindsay’s defence have sanctioned its sale to Entertainment Tonight. Supposedly, the video will be on ET tonight, March 7, 2011. It was also state the Lindsay isn’t taking these charges lightly. The day after her arrest she Twittered “fyi- i would never steal, in case people are wondering. I was not raised to lie, cheat, or steal.”

March 11, 2011... The judge has given Lindsay Lohan another two weeks to consider a closed plea agreement dealing the the alleged necklace theft. The district attorney’s office may be getting pressure to put an end to this in a politically smart fashion. For Lindsay’s sake, we all hope that she will get effective drug treatment that will raise her ethics level to a point where she can survive without all of the drama around her unethical behaviors.

March 24, 2011…Lindsay desides to reject the plea bargain and to stand trial before a jury of her peers… well, it would be hard to find 12 peers, but other citizens. We will see if this outcome will help Lindsay take responsibility for her life or not

March 25, 2011… Lindsay desides to drop the Lohan name and just be knowns as Lindsay.

There was also word the Lindsay sent a note to Saturday Night Live that she didn’t appreciate being characterized as a drug addict and criminal on their satirical sketch last Saturday night. We don’t know how they responded or if they did

April 28, 2011…Lindsay finally has some closure on this necklace theft. The judge reduced the charges from a felony grand theft to a misdemeanor, but sentenced Lindsay to 120 days in jail. Lindsay didn’t start serving her time, but did spend a few hours in jail while her attorney filed an appeal of the judge’s ruling. Lindsay posted a $75,000 bond and was free to appear on the Jay Leno show on the 26th where she was asked if her treatment was fair or unfair. Lindsay said that she was “treated the way I should be treated.” If that be the case and her true feelings, then she is definitely making progress…time will tell.

May 11, 2011…Lindsay’s lawyer, Shawn Holley, entered a no contest plea last Wednesday for Lindsay Lohan in the theft of a necklace, which has set in motion the judges recommendation for counseling, some jail time for parole violation and drug-testing. Lindsay did not admit that she was guilty, but pleaded no contest, meaning that she is at the mercy of the court to settle this case.

Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner ordered Lindsay to serve a 120-day jail sentence and to stay on her probation and to complete 480 hours of community service as well as having psychological counseling. The judge ordered the counseling because she found evidence that Lindsay had been drinking while she was in the Betty Ford Center and had relapsed since she was relased from rehab.

Lindsy Lohan may not have to serve 120 days in county jail since the jail is experiencing over-crowding, but may be able to wear an electronic device to stay in house-arrest. Hopefully, this will be a time and a wakeup call for Lindsay to really take control of her life.

June 23, 2011…Lindsay escapes jail after having to report to court for what could and, probably should have been a parole violation. Instead, she was admonished by the judge to not throw any more parties at her home. It doesn’t appear that Lindsay has learned her lesson and it also doesn’t appear that the courts in her area have the courage to make her confront her life. They should be increasing the gradient of punishment on her with each example that she isn’t getting it.